Allusions In Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

The underlying theme of America is it’s trust in God. Lincoln uses this in his 2nd Inaugural Address as a backbone to bring the nation together after a devastating war. At this point in history, there were far fewer religious disputes than today. So when Lincoln acknowledged that "The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous" (Lincoln 5), the population was actually encouraged.

He states how both, the North and South, “read the same Bible and pray to the same God,” and neither the North nor South expected for the war the magnitude or the duration which it attained. Lincoln also maintains an optimistic tone throughout the speech and invokes unity with his parallel structured sentences.

The Civil War was a period of racial injustice and a time of great loss for the people of America. During Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, he creates a moral framework for peace and reconciliation with the use of many rhetorical strategies. With a sincere but reflective tone, Abraham Lincoln highlights the reality of the troubled nation and the solution to all of the problems, which is unity. Lincoln repeats strong phrases to enhance the theme, references to a holy figure, and creates simple, yet structured ideas to achieve his purpose of reuniting the broken nation.

Opening with an establishment of his place, Lincoln, presents himself as an equal to the nation by opening his address with “fellow countrymen”. Although he stands with his authority as a president, he sympathizes with his audience. He includes himself by saying, “The progress of our arms…”(11), “..well known to the public as to myself..”(12-13), and “All dreaded it, a sought to avert it.”(18-19) He continues these statements of his disposition to support the statements following. For example after he establishes placement with the citizens, not separate, he reassures them with “I trust, reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all. With high hope for the

Lincoln states, “Both read the same bible” and “pray to the same God”, is interpreting that both the North and the South shared similar beliefs, such as the bible and God, that there is only one God that the people worship. Lincoln then goes off and says “woe unto the world because of offenses… but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.” He has now made a reference to the bible, that the nation is now corrupt and is doing wrong, which later also stating that “American slavery” is the reason America has become this way. By referring back to the bible, what many people know, love and live their lives from what it says really touches the people emotions and makes them believe of the wrong that they have caused.

When the new generation of Americans displayed their violent nature in 1838, President Abraham Lincoln felt the need to express his concerns for the future of the country. Springfield, Illinois is the location at which Lincoln delivered these concerns to a group of young men. At the time Lincoln was just twenty eight years old, yet he was thoroughly prepared to deliver his speech. Throughout his speech titled “Lyceum Address”, Lincoln expressed his main concern as the fall of the nation. He enunciated the country’s greatest strengths and weaknesses by mentioning both past accomplishments and current troubles; such as mob violence. In fact, although never specifically mentioned, the mob murder of Elijah Lovejoy. The murder provided verification

“Neither anticipated” the “conflict” it would cause. Lincoln is contemplating the results that this war will have, at this point he looks at is as now we must put war into the hands of the “almighty.” If “American slavery” is a “providence of God” then we must cease to accept it. Lincoln expresses that God gave both “North and South this terrible war.” Then goes on to logically explaining that the country is a “bondsman” and has an abundance of debt that must be “paid.” The war will not be over until every drop of “blood” has been “drawn” with the “lash” that shall be “paid.” God will not grant this war to be over until a price has been paid. Lincoln explains that the judgements of the “Lord are true” and “righteous” altogether. Lincoln conveys that the outcome of war is now in God’s hands.

Prior to John F. Kennedy’s inauguration was, of course, the election of 1960, in which Kennedy went face to face with Richard Nixon on issues such as, the Cold War, Kennedy’s religious beliefs, and the display of each’s competence. In Kennedy’s inaugural address, he not only alludes, but also addresses to the Cold War, and makes mention of his future plans and Roman Catholic religious beliefs; and, he does so through use of allusions and anaphoras. Through the use of allusions and anaphoras, Kennedy effectively achieves his purpose of fulfilling citizen’s expectations, addressing the Cold War, and stating the United States’s future plans to his audience, the United States of America and other nations, through emphasis and rhetorical appeals towards pathos and ethos.

In response to his use of biblical passages, many referred to Lincoln as a deist rather than a heretic or atheist. Lincoln’s critics argued that he believed God to be the creator of the world but the Almighty did not interfere with human affairs. Although some critiqued his use of the Bible, the rhetoric Lincoln employed in his orations and letters suggests otherwise. Lincoln’s evolution of religious acceptance and confirmation is seen within his speeches, as he embraced the Christian principles and applied them through political religion and his position as the President of the United States. Lincoln’s thorough knowledge of the Bible was observed as he was often times more acquainted with the word than ministers and pastors. He “understood God not only as loving and concerned, but also as faithful, intimate, and good.” During his presidency, Lincoln demonstrated that he was on God’s side and planned to honor Him through reading scripture, observing the Sabbath, and leading a “Christian people”. As Lincoln grew, the Bible was still his favorite book. Stephen Mansfield wrote that Lincoln commonly

On March 4, 1865 Abraham Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address as president of the United States. The inaugural address came at the very end of the American Civil War, and just a month before the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Prior to this address, the United States had been split into two different independent states, the Union and the Confederacy. Throughout Abraham Lincoln’s first term and the very beginning of his second, Lincoln had to deal with the secession of the eleven states that made up the Confederacy. Also during the war, Lincoln competed in the 1864 presidential election in which his leadership was challenged by George B. McClellan. This inaugural address was important at the time, and remains a relic of Abraham Lincoln’s powerful speaking ability.

In the Gettysburg Address, President Abraham Lincoln states that the Union needs to fight in the civil war in order for the country to become free once again. Lincoln uses allusion and didactic tone to convey his transition of the past to the future of our country.

The end of the battles of the Civil War introduced a period which was set to restore and reconstruct the United States of America. President Abraham Lincoln had plans to reconcile the nation in a peaceful manner. Lincoln’s goal was to reestablish the nation in a way that would not reproach either the north or south. In his second inaugural speech following the end of the Civil War, Lincoln’s statement “Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes his aid against the other” (Abraham Lincoln, Blackboard, p. 269) points out the shared

Lincoln suggests that the two thoroughly different ideas of the North and South to become one once again, as he also juxtaposes life and death in the same speech, almost as to compare the ideals of the North and South to the ideas of life and death. Lincoln matched his uniting tone with his juxtaposed exemplars. Lincoln compassion for the Civil War is shown as he mourns the loss of many fellow Americans, not differentiating between Union and Confederate soldiers. He creates juxtaposition in his final statement of a “new birth” and the obstruction of a “perished” nation. His patriotic address charms his audience into action. The usage of juxtaposition allows Lincoln to transfer the zeal in his speech into action by uniting the people of America.

Lincoln used religion to convey his message of unity liberally throughout his address, which appealed to people of every social class, gender, and side of the war. He

Lincoln suggests that the two exceedingly contrary ideas of the North and South to become one once again, as he also juxtaposes life and death in the same speech, as to compare the ideals of the North and South to the ideas of life and death. Lincoln matched his uniting tone with his juxtaposed exemplars. Lincoln’s compassion for the Civil War is shown as he mourns the loss of many fellow Americans, not differentiating between Union and Confederate soldiers. He creates juxtaposition in his final statement of a “new birth” and the obstruction of a “perished” nation. His patriotic address appeals his audience into action. The usage of juxtaposition allows Lincoln to transfer the zeal in his speech into action by uniting the people of America.